I  can finally answer all my well meaning friends, who ask:  Where is that book of yours?  To be honest they have all been very generous and offered congratulations, asked where to buy the book and asked if I’ve planned any author events in December.

I’ve independently published my debut novel using Create Space, the publishing arm of Amazon.  My experience with Create Space has been nothing short of a miracle.  I singed a service agreement with Create Space on October 7th, and in 31 busness days my book is available to the world.

By contrast, I signed a contract with micro publisher, Mischievous Muse Press, and terminated the contract in February this year after 2 ½ years of frustration and providing numerous edited manuscripts that were never accepted.  I often wondered why they ever offered me a contract.

Create Space offers several distribution packages and I’ve selected the Expanded Distribution.  It means my royalties will be less but MURPHY’S TROUBLES will be available world-wide on Amazon and placed in bookstores at no out- of-pocket cost to me.

Amazon also offers me, again at no cost, an author’s webpage that is interactive.  In addition to providing readers with a bit more information about me, the author’s page has a forum where I can respond directly to readers’ questions, reactions and opinions.  It is a way for me to develop a relationship with my readers which is very important to me. 

I began the journey down publication road in January 2010 after being laid off from my job in December, 2009.  The lay-off was completely unexpected but I rebounded quickly by deciding it was an opportunity in wolf’s clothing.  With the lay-off I had the time to find out if I had the skills needed to have both a freelance career and to publish my fiction.

Following the exhilaration of seeing my book on Amazon I took a brief trip down memory lane.  I’m a saver and I’ve saved the notes from all my writing classes and conferences.  In the beginning of my writing journey I joined a critique group led by Laurel Yourke, a talented and award winning teacher, scholar and writer.  Stuffed in my notes from her critique class I found a one page assignment I turned in on November 6, 2000.  The assignment was a scene between Ian Murphy and his boyhood friend, Timolty Doyle.  I have been writing Ian’s story for a very long time.

I am honored to offer MURPHY’S  TROUBLES to all readers on Amazon.com and in local bookstores.  If you get a chance, send me an e-mail or post to this blog; let me know what you think.       

It’s sometimes difficult to believe that we continue to celebrate an essentially agrarian holiday in 21st century America.  The current celebration date was established by President Lincoln in 1863.  However, as early as 1777 the Continental Congress created Thursday December 18th as a day set aside for national Thanksgiving.

Now the holiday is associated with commercialism with “brown” Thursday and “black” Friday.  This evolution is unfortunate and blurs the original intent of the holiday.  In our family we do not shop on either Thursday or Friday, partly for self-protection from crazed mobs, but primarily because we just don’t accept the commercialization of giving thanks.

This year I am thankful that MURPHY’S TROUBLES is published.  More than this accomplishment is how it came about.  As my wife reminds me, this year I learned how much my friends believe and support me.  Without friends MURPHY’S TROUBLES wouldn’t have been published in November or even in 2013.

The lesson I learned is that I am part of a creative, arts community; a community that nurtures an artist way of life.  I am fortunate.  I want to thank each person that has walked this journey with me and will continue to be members of my community.      

On Monday, November 18, 2013 my debut historical thriller, MURPHY’S TROUBLES became available on Amazon.com (www.Amazon.com/Murphy’s-Troubles-Rex-Owens).

Why am I announcing this event on Wednesday, November20th?  Now, there’s a story.  I was surprised to receive the final hardcopy proof with cover late in the afternoon on the 20th.  I didn’t expect the final proof until November 25th.  I sat down and reviewed the last round of corrections I submitted and found everything perfect.  I could have (or should have) taken the time to check everything again.  I’ve reviewed four proofs so I decided to take a leap of faith that another review wasn’t need.

I logged into Create Space and approved the final proof.  Then I selected price, distribution channels, created an account to have royalties deposited and ordered books for my readings on December 14th and 16th.  The instructions noted that after final approval it would take 3-5 business days to have MURPHY’S TROUBLES listed on Amazon.

Just to make sure I understood the timing I called the Create Space customer service.  They explained that they couldn’t provide a date for birth on Amazon, just the 3-5 business day range.  I then asked the typical newbie question, can you guarantee it will be on Amazon by Monday, November 25th?  YES!

I was elated because the book launch was a full week ahead of schedule.  I switched gears to marketing mode and began work on the details of making the big announcement on Monday.  For some reason Tuesday I had an abundance of nervous energy and couldn’t focus.  I distracted myself with mundane jobs like grocery shopping, painting set for our civic theater production and other non-cerebral activities.

Tuesday evening I was watching the last episode of a PBS series I enjoyed but again found I couldn’t concentrate.  I decided, on a whim, to check Amazon.  I went to Amazon books and typed MURPHY’S TROUBLES in the search bar.  It popped up at the top of the page!  How did that happen?  I don’t care.

Having MURPHY’S TROUBLES listed on Amazon is a moment of triumph and the conclusion of a journey that began in 2000.  My nervous energy dissipated and I felt a wave of calmness through my body and could literally feel my tense muscles relaxed.  I hooted at the top of my voice! 

So today I become marketing man and this blog is my first declaration to the world – I DID IT!   

While I was under contract with a traditional publisher I was comfortable with calling myself an author (or soon to be author when the book was actually published).  Several years ago I attended a presentation at the UW Madison Writer’s Institute by a publication attorney.  He explained that the term “author” has a specific legal definition.  A writer becomes an” author” when there is a contract between a person and a publisher to create a specific work.  Based on this understanding, at the time, I was adamant that anyone who self-published was not an author.

Well, the days of having a contract with a traditional publisher are fading in my rear view mirror.  In a few weeks I will release Murphy’s Troubles on Amazon print- on- demand and used their proprietary Create Space publishing service.  So, by my understanding of the term, I can’t honestly refer to myself as an author.

So, do I call myself a writer?  That term is very broad and doesn’t satisfy me as being descriptive of what I do.  Several years ago when I was developing my LinkedIn profile I used the term:  Novelist and Freelance Writer.  I don’t any longer remember why I chose those words, but I’ve decided it fits.  My first love is the novel and my second freelance non-fiction for my blog, Extra Innings, book reviews and an occasional print magazine.

After Murphy’s Troubles is available on Amazon I’ve settled on calling myself a published novelist.  I think that is accurate and it avoids any legal misunderstanding that may occur by calling myself an author.  This is important to me.  It may seem like I’m splitting hairs.  For me, the distinction is significant.  It’s also a way to answer the question – what do you write – in a simple, elegant way.   

The practice of children screaming “trick or treat” when visiting your home on Halloween evening didn’t begin in America until the 1940’s. Usually there wasn’t a trick because most homes offered their ghoulish visitors a treat, even though my Dad insisted on handing out apples.  Growing up I was embarrassed by his healthy handout, now, I recognize he was ahead of his time.

This week author Ruth Ozeki  is the guest the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  The campus coordinates a program called ‘Go Big Read’.  A book is selected each year for study by the entire campus (+42,000 students).  All 5000 entering freshmen were given a copy of Ozeki’s latest novel A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING.  For a week there have been discussion groups across campus that Ozeki participated in and 60 courses offered to students on her novel.  Any writer would be envious of both the book sales and attention Go Big Read generates.

Part of Ozeki’s duties for the week included making a presentation to a room of 1200 readers and I was one of the mega-audience attending.  We didn’t learn until she began speaking that she had no intention of talking about her novel, instead, she lectured us on “How To Be A Better Time Being”, which she read directly from notes.  In a forty-five minute presentation she shared only a thread of information on writing A TALE . . . It wasn’t even obvious that she had six points to share with us on ‘how to be a better time being’ until she announced number three and told us there would be a total of six.

Ozeki is a Zen Buddhist priest and had us spend +10 minutes meditating.  Again, not at all what I expected in an author’s book reading.  I’m not against meditating, but I am against being put in a position that I have to meditate with 1198 strangers, it was inappropriate and offensive.

At the close of her presentation 30 minutes was allocated to a Q & A.  The professor moderator, of  course, had to start with his own question – not that 1200 people in a college setting would need any prompting to ask questions.  He only wanted to show us how important he was, that he had to lead the questioning.  We once called that pompous and self-important.

All of the questions posed were about A Tale . . ., not a single question about how to be a better time being.  She didn’t answer a single question.  She stuttered and danced around any direct, meaningful answers. 

So, this Halloween we received a trick from author Ruth Ozeki.  My recommendation is, if you have a chance to attend one of her author readings, skip it.       

Plain and simple, here it is . . .

10/18 received electronic proof of book

10/21  received  physical proof of book

10/21 to 10/25 review proof,  make corrections, upload corrected proof

10/28 review and upload final book cover with spine

11/5 receive corrected proof

11/12 approve final proof

11/12 approve final cover

11/12 select regular and extended distribution

11/12 MURPHY’S TROUBLES sent to Amazon distribution

11/19 receive author’s complimentary copy

11/20 MURPHY’S TROUBLES available on Amazon for purchase

Part of the schedule is based on milestones Create Space provides to accomplish their tasks and part is dependent on me.  Having this timeline makes it real, concrete.  I began down the meandering road to publication in April 2010, it has taken 44 months.   

This past Monday I took one giant leap closer to releasing Murphy’s Troubles on Amazon.  I had a telephone conference with my design team at Create Space.  I panicked when my manuscript file was converted to a book format came in at 501 pages.  I attempted to change the formatting and physical dimensions of the book (called trim size) to reduce the page count.  It became clear that I had stumbled into the realm of graphic design experts and I was lost.

For a $349 I purchased the Create Space interior design package.  They sent me a document with recommendations for:  trim size, body copy font, accent font and fleuron (that squiggly thing separating major paragraph breaks within a chapter).  Before purchasing the package I was asked three times if I would like to try to do the interior design myself.  I appreciated not having a hard sell but I knew I needed help.

My graphic designer, Anna, led me through a series of questions to make the decisions that will shape the physical book.  I didn’t hesitate to ask for recommendations.  First choice – trim size.  Originally I chose 8.5 x 5.5.  Anna recommended 8 x 5 because it was more common for my genre.  She was able to tell me that size would result in a 330 page book, perfect.  I reviewed the various font options with my cover designer because I trust his judgment in the visual appearance of the book.  We chose Mercury for the body copy font (interior paragraph font); Charlemagne for the accent font (chapter headings) and a simple fleuron.  Next I was asked if I wanted the right page chapters.  That means each new chapter would always begin on a right hand page.  At first I thought that was a good idea.  However, Anna pointed out that could add 30 pages to the total page count.  I didn’t want to do that and she explained that most fiction books don’t have right page chapters.

Finally, we reviewed the image size of my book cover.  When I uploaded the cover file several months ago we guessed at the trim size.  We downsized the book so now the image needs to be adjusted.  I notified my cover designer and will have a properly sized image in about a week.

With all these decisions behind me the book seems much more real because it’s taking on physical shape in the real world.  I’ll be sent an electronic proof on 10/28 but I asked to be sent a physical proof which should arrive in early November.        

I have been down the path of working with a traditional publisher and it didn’t work out.  After two and a half years of many versions of my manuscript, my former publisher didn’t meet two publication dates they set in 2012.  Each time a date was missed there was no explanation.  I tried to negotiate a publication date in 2013 but the publisher refused to negotiate.  I threw up my hands in disgust and terminated that contract.

When I started my journey to publication in early 2010 I was hell bent on traditional publishing.  I felt there was a dark cloud over self-publishing.  I was convinced that I wouldn’t be a legitimate author if I self-published.  Check the definition of author, then you’ll understand.

For years self-publication meant vanity press but now there are legitimate alternatives.  I was approached by a subsidy publisher but after careful analysis I concluded only the publisher benefited from that relationship.

For self-publishing I selected Amazon’s Create Space because the Linkedin groups I belong to rated their experience as very good to exceptional and because my friend and author, Marshall Cook, selected Create Space after his publisher of many years went out of business.

Create Space is completely transparent in the services they provide at no cost and those that have a fee.  I have called them for help and written e-mails.  They are patient with me and always offer a solution.  When my browser didn’t work to upload my manuscript file, they did it at no cost in the format they needed for publication.  They offered this solution to my problem, I didn’t ask.

My goal is to publish MURPHY’S TROUBLES in November; I’ve been assigned a Create Space publishing assistant to guide me through the publishing maze.  I consider myself fortunate to have the services of Create Space to help a novice publish my debut novel.  A few years ago, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity. 

Traditional literary agents and the publishing industry is risk averse because they are in the business of making money, not encouraging literature.  Create Space has developed a publishing model where there risk is minimal and the cost to the writer is only what they can reasonably pay yet have a high quality book produced.  So what if Amazon is the 600 pound gorilla in the room?  I like gorillas.   

Several years ago I became interested in traditional oral storytelling.  I thought  oral storytelling would be a natural extension of my writing fiction.  I felt that learning to tell oral stories would deepen and enrich my writing.

A local librarian was working to establish a storytelling group where people could learn the art, be supportive and refine their presentation and stories.  The first meeting included an eclectic mix of people all with different reasons for wanting to be storytellers.  As part of the meeting attendees were asked to volunteer to tell stories.  The first was the librarian who told a story of a family canoe trip.  While she told the story dramatically (read melodramatically) it was neither interesting nor humorous.  A second couple told a story about a trip they took in the Caribbean.  They laughed throughout their own story; they were the only ones in the room that were laughing.  Do you see a pattern? My idea of true storytelling wasn’t about folks sharing their own life experiences;  that should be confined to family reunions or professional comedians.

 This past weekend there was a Wisconsin Storytellers Get Together at a local library.  The cost for the day was $40; I wasn’t sure what the money was to be used for but spending that amount wasn’t going to break the bank.

About 25 people attended of which 21 were women that had been retired for at least 10 years.  Of the four men attending only one looked young enough to still be holding a day job.  In the very first session I learned that most attending performed storytelling for money.  I was shocked and surprised. I didn’t want to tell stories to add to my income, but for the art.  It began to feel bad in my gut.

It became crystal clear that these folks were not interested in stories, they were interested in performing.   I’m not interested in performing; I’m interested in storytelling as an art.  I had a strong reaction in my gut.  That part of you that says:  get out now, this isn’t for you.

After the first session I quietly walked out.  I didn’t get my forty bucks worth, or maybe I did.  I avoided what could have been a major detour on my journey to become a better writer.  I’m a writer, not a performer; at forty bucks I guess it’s a cheap lesson.

    

In February I terminated my contract with Mischievous Muse Press to begin the journey to self-publication.  Since then the book cover has been completely redesigned and the back of the book blurb tossed and re-written.

The first edit the manuscript had was a substantive edit by my friend and mentor Marshall Cook.  As a result I added two chapters and re-wrote the last chapter, dramatically changing the ending of the book.  Marshall convinced me that making the last paragraph of the book a cliff hanger just wasn’t fair to the reader.  Of course, he’s right.

Next, my website:   www.rexowens.us had a complete make-over.  I actually hired a pro to provide me with an analysis and make specific recommendations for change.  I accepted all the recommendations and in a single month saw a 25% jump in hits.

It took quite a while for me to find a compatible copyeditor/proofreader.  In August I found Christine Keleny of www.ckbookspublishing.com, who lives in a small town right here in Dane County, Wisconsin. Christine provided both insightful copyediting and line proofreading.  It has taken me about a month to review Christine’s recommendations and incorporate about 98% of them (Christine would prefer I write out all numerals).  In September I also took a one day brush- up course on grammar and punctuation because my experience with Christine was proof it would be beneficial for me.

I am now on the brink of publication.  First, I will be doing technical editing on formatting and consistency in the manuscript.  Then will come the day that I upload the manuscript to Create Space.  Recently, Create Space is offering more options on what is called interior design.  I want to take my time to get the “look” that I want for the book.  Create Space will also send me a hard copy galley to review and make final changes.  Then, the hour will arrive in October when MURPHY’S TROUBLES is published.

I want to choose a date for publication that coincides with a significant event in the history of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.  Right now I’m leaning toward 27 October (1980) the day the first Hunger Strike began.